Haga the Parasitic Ghost
by Something-Raptored
Summary: - AU - Ryuzaki Raptor happens to stumble upon a body in the forest; unfortunately for him, said body's ghost decides to follow him home! Armed with no memory of his past life and the school's clairvoyant, Espa Roba, Ryuzaki embarks on a journey to get Haga to the afterlife. [Shrimpshipping in later chapters!]
1. 1 - Crossing Paths

The brunette shuffled aimlessly through the forests of Japan, map clutched in a deathly grip as indigo orbs took the view in – moss-strewn trees sprouted up to the sky, it seemed, golden sunlight filtering through branches onto the ground in blotches of color. A wondrous smile adorned tanned features, a slow trot pacing to a run as he made his way past countless trees and getting himself hopelessly lost, though he didn't care. At the time, it wasn't on his mind.

Ryuzaki Raptor was on an expedition today in the forests of Japan, at least an hour drive from Domino City. These forests weren't usually a tourist attraction – on the contrary, they were hardly visited; people wanted them torn down to build houses and whatnot – but it was a Saturday and Ryuzaki's mother had suggested that he go and do something other than play Duel Monsters. It was then that he decided to take a hike to the forests, with nothing else to do, and see if he could find anything that caught his fancy – maybe a fossil of some sort, if he dug deep enough!

A boy could dream, couldn't he? It was a good change of pace from Domino City, where he currently resided. The city was a dream for those living out in the country, but when you got down to it and saw all you wanted to, it seemed like a prison. Too much to see, too little to actually do when you were only 16 without a working job or money, like Ryuzaki currently was. Walking down street after street until it got dark got rather boring after attempting it the hundredth time. So it was here in this forest that Ryuzaki could finally get away from the noise and bustle of the city.

He passed the time away treading over mossy grounds, acting like sponges against his shoes and giving him a bounce in his step. There wasn't really too much to do in the forests, either, but it was eye candy to see brilliant shades of emerald and jade as opposed to countless concrete-hued building after building.

When the novelty wore out and Ryuzaki decided he should leave while it was light out, he walked back the direction he assumed he came in.

The map did him no good in getting him out, though, and Ryuzaki wondered how he would find his way back. Being as carefree as he was, however, he easily pushed his worry aside – there were still a few more hours of sunlight left and with any luck, he'd be out of the forest in no time.

Luck, however, did not seem to be on Ryuzaki's side today.

He rounded a tree, large in its base, only to be assaulted with the smell of something unquestionably dead. His nose crinkled up at the stench, foreign to Ryuzaki, and curiosity got the best of the brunette as he tried to find its source. There were deer in this forest, right? – That had to be what the smell came from. The carcass of a deer was disgusting, he'd admit, but likely fun to look at nonetheless.

When the stench got stronger and his nausea more persistent, Ryuzaki was surprised to find that the stench was not from a deer as he had anticipated, but instead from a human being, seemingly male at a first glance. His body was splayed out at the base of a tree, dried blood staining the rocks around him where Ryuzaki assumed his head had hit a rock – his neck was also twisted at an unnatural angle, probably broken. Light teal wisps of hair covered a good portion of his features – at least, Ryuzaki thought he was a boy; if he was he was definitely small for a male, and effeminate too.

Ryuzaki froze up at the unexpected sight, eyes running over the boy's body, taking in little details of his features. His hair was cut in straight strands, framing around his face and his boyish features – yes, he was definitely a boy, Ryuzaki decided. His entire body was a rigid, pale color, lips turned blue and parted slightly; flies swarmed over his body here and there. He wore glasses adorned in a yellow frame, both lenses shattered completely, eyelids shuttered closed [Ryuzaki was certain if they were open he would have vomited.] Panic set in, along with sadness for the unidentified boy, and Ryuzaki backed up in blind fear. Slender digits frantically worked at his pocket as he reached for his phone – dear God he hoped he had service – and as he took a look at the screen his eyes were met with a signal bar working.

Relief washed over him as he dialed 110, speaking hurriedly into the phone the moment someone picked up – a man's voice met his own, to his relief, and he spilled everything almost instantly; information about finding the boy's body, where he was [approximately; there was no way to tell in these forests where exactly he was], and the man told him firmly not to touch the body or walk away from it, and to keep on the line with him until help arrived.

* * *

It took a little while, the sun beginning to go down and Ryuzaki certain he would never travel near any woods ever again, but help finally arrived – much-needed for Ryuzaki, too; a corpse wasn't much company for the living. The stranger's body was towed away by paramedics and the brunette was then offered a ride to the nearest station for questioning.

"Questioning?" Ryuzaki frowned, following an officer who had talked to him earlier. "Why?"

"Standard procedure." The elder male, Officer Keith Howard, responded. "We'll escort you home afterwards… what on earth were you doing out here all by yourself?"

"I-I came to explore the woods," the brunette responded, arm coming up to wipe the sweat from his brow. Something in the man's tone made him nervous, like he didn't believe him. "I never been here b'fore… I didn't expect t'find a body…"

Keith laughed heartily, removing his glasses from his line of vision. "Yeah, that's not exactly an every-day thing to find in a forest, huh… poor kid. Lucky you found him; from the looks of it he's been sitting there for maybe a day or three."

Ryuzaki followed along, happy for the ride home – Keith opened the door for him, making small talk as they drove back to Domino City. The car-ride was pretty quiet, neither male having much to talk about aside from the obvious – though that wasn't a pleasant conversation starter. Keith questioned him as to where he lived, asking for directions occasionally as they got closer to downtown, aside from that not saying much of anything.

As they drove within the city limits, however, the officer spoke up again. "So how'd you find the boy?"

"Huh?" Ryuzaki's head snapped towards the source of the sound, being shaken from his train of thought. "W-who, the body? Umm, I jus' smelled somethin' off, thought it was a deer… curiosity, I guess…"

"Deer don't inhabit that forest." Keith frowned, taking a sharp left that slammed Ryuzaki gently against the window. His eyes flickered to the widened eyes of the brunette and he grinned. "Careful, lightweight, don't wanna flick you outta the car."

"… Do you know who he is?"

A quick shake of the older man's head was confirmation. "No idea. He's probably from a few cities over… what an odd place to die at, that forest… I hope no one planned this for the little guy."

"You… you think someone…?"

"It's hard to say." Keith bit down on the temple of his glasses subconsciously, eyebrows knitting in deep concentration. "I mean, his death looked innocent enough… we'll learn more down at the station."

"Am I in trouble?"

Keith risked a small glance down at the younger male, seriousness fading as he gave a small smile, watching the worried expression Ryuzaki was wearing. A low chuckle escaped his lips. "Naw, so long as you didn't do anything to that boy. They're just gonna want your side of the story, yanno – how ya found him and all. You'll be done before you know it."

* * *

A few hours and questions later and Keith was escorting Ryuzaki home – they had ruled the blue-haired boy's death accidental [apparently it was caused by his skull crushing into the rocks below; his neck was also broken], and Ryuzaki was cleared as a suspect of any kind, just a boy who happened to stumble upon something rather gruesome.

Ryuzaki arrived home at around midnight to a very worried mother, who at the sight of the cop car was immediately on Ryuzaki's case, asking what he had done wrong [Keith assured her that he wasn't in trouble, only getting a ride home from the woods]. Keith left with a wave and a goodbye, and Ryuzaki's mother helped him inside.

"You're never going outside of the city limits again." She bluffed in relief, sighing as she waltzed into the kitchen. "I was so worried, Ryuzaki, you reckless boy. What am I going to do with you…? I suppose that boy's lucky that you found him… oh, his poor parents, what they must be going through…"

Ryuzaki rolled his eyes lightly, letting his mother ramble on while he raided the fridge – with the adventure he had been on today he had hardly eaten a thing.

"I'm goin' ta bed." He announced, hardly stifling a yawn as he carried his meal up to his room.

"That's probably for the best." She smiled, running her fingers through his lavender fringe as he removed his beanie. "Get some sleep, 'kay? Maybe tomorrow I'll treat'cha out for ice cream, if work's not keepin' me up too late."

"That sounds great." Ryuzaki purred, leaning into her touch. "Love ya, Okan. Goodnight."

* * *

Ryuzaki entered his room, popping a single takoyaki into his mouth and chewing on it – they weren't nearly as good cold, but food was food to a hungry boy. He shook his head lightly, trying to get his hair to fluff out as he sat on the edge of his bed, a second takoyaki already replacing the first. Another yawn failed in being stifled, reminding him just how tiring today was and how late at night it was getting to be.

"Today was intense…" He murmured to himself, placing his remaining takoyaki on his dresser as he began to undress for the night. He lifted his shirt over his head, tossing it carelessly on the bed. "I wonder jus' who that kid was…"

"Tch, well you wouldn't happen to be the only one, now would you?"

Ryuzaki froze instantly, half-way through unbuttoning his jeans. Fear overtook him for the second time that day and his head snapped around, brunette locks whipping at his cheek, indigo eyes locking with sharp, vibrant blue orbs staring back at him.

The little boy he found in the forest was standing – or, more-so floating; his feet weren't even touching the ground – in Ryuzaki's room.

Ryuzaki shrieked out in surprise, a much higher-pitched whine than he'd like to admit, reeling back in a form of defense against the semi-transparent figure. "W-who on earth –?"

"Calm down, I'm not here to hurt you." The ghost scoffed, adjusting his lenses as he eyed the room of the other boy. "Your room is an absolute pigsty."

"Y-you… you're that boy from the forest…" Ryuzaki frowned, relaxing as he figured the ghost wouldn't [or couldn't, he doubted a ghost could physically harm a human] hurt him. "You're older than I thought you would be…"

"Not too much younger than you are, I'd bet." Thin shoulders shrugged close to the teal-haired boy. No longer looking absolutely like death, Ryuzaki could examine him better; he was probably an inch or two shorter than Ryuzaki was, though floating over the still-living's bed, it was kind of hard to tell. His eyes, when not narrowed in distaste, were wide with curiosity, orbs a brilliant electric blue even in their transparency. He was wearing a gray cardigan, a little red bow-tie adorning it, arms crossed defensively over his chest.

"You can stop looking at me like I'm on display." He hissed – his voice was distinctly male, though just as equally effeminate as the rest of him. "You're acting like you've seen a ghost."

"You _are_ a ghost." Ryuzaki countered, risking a step closer to the other. "Who… who are you…?"

Another shrug. "I have no clue. All I really remember is that you found my body in those woods… I followed you home."

"Why?" Thin lips quirked into a frown. "You'd 'av' done better following your body…"

"There's no way to connect to my body again; I'm stuck like this." The ghost retorted, voice cracking with a wistful sigh. "I followed you because I want to go to the afterlife, and as the boy who found my body it's _your_ job to take me there."

"Pfft, says who?" Ryuzaki countered, still looking over the boy – his hair was in a ridiculous bowl-cut, much cleaner when compared to the earlier look he sported. His glasses weren't broken anymore, the lenses wide circles that took up a ridiculous portion of the space above his nose. "I didn't sign up to babysit you to the afterlife."

"Tch." The teal-haired ghost frowned, turning his gaze away from Ryuzaki's face. "I'm not going to beg – I'll continue haunting you anyways, until you oblige and help me, so it's best to just get formalities out of the way…"

"Listen, ghost, I don't want trouble…"

"Good, neither do I."

"Then you'll leave?"

"No way. I'm planning on getting out of here as soon as I can, believe me, I don't like being around messes like this disgrace you call a room for too long… but I don't think I can do it alone. As much as I hate to admit it, I _need_ you for this task."

Ryuzaki had drowned out the ghost's conversation at this point, opting instead to see what else he could learn about the boy just from sheer observation. Every so often the ghost would adjust his lenses from the side, sliding them further back to where he was sure the glass would brush against his eyelashes should he close his eyes. His nose would scrunch up as he talked, cheeks puffing out as if sniffling. He was definitely unconventional in his habits and traits – was he even aware of his constant glasses adjusting…?

" – What's your name?"

The boy paused mid-sentence, turning back to Ryuzaki with an unimpressed expression written across his features. Half-lidded eyes addressed Ryuzaki, electric blue orbs screaming "judging you" just in the way they glanced at him. "I believe I've mentioned before that I have no clue who I am, and that includes my name. And what might yours be?"

"Ryuzaki."

"Ryuzaki. It's a pleasure."

The sarcastic snicker had left his voice at this point, judging gaze fading into simple pondering. "You know… now that I think over it… I really _don't_ remember anything about my previous life… where I came from, potential family, nothing…"

"Really?" Ryuzaki went to join him on the bed, frowning at the thought of not remembering anything about oneself. "Well, I dunno what 'xactly to tell ya… how would we even get you to the afterlife…? What does it take a ghost to get there? All I ever read about was like vengeance an' wantin' someone dead, but… you don' seem t'be mad at anybody…"

"No, I don't think I came back because I was mad at anybody…" The boy shook his head, hair following suit and bouncing against his cheeks. "From the looks of it my death was accidental… fell from that tree that officer was talking about."

Square shoulders shrugged as Ryuzaki cut in with a yawn. "I guess I wouldn't know, I didn't really take a good look at'cha when I found ya…"

"You sound tired."

"I am." Ryuzaki nodded. "It's been a long day. As much as I'd love t'stay up an' talk to ya, I think it'd be best if we called it a night…"

"W-wait." The ghost shook his head. "You still haven't given me an answer as to if you'll help me out or not! Y-you can't sleep until you give me an answer!"

"Well you're not really giving me much'uv a chance t'say no, are you?"

"Yes, I suppose not…"

"Then there's your answer. Now please, let me sleep… we can talk in the mornin'. I don' care where you go… jus' let me sleep."

"Hmm." A nod from the ghost signified finality, and as Ryuzaki got up to flip the light switch off, he turned to find the ghost gone from sight.

A relieved sigh emitted from Ryuzaki as he brushed his bangs back, climbing into bed. He groaned as his head hit the pillow, sighing unintelligibly to no one in particular.

"Who ever'd have thought I'd be followed by a ghost…?"


	2. 2 - Regaining Memory

The next morning came with Ryuzaki waking lazily up from a dreamless rest, indigo hues opening hesitantly. Golden sunlight filtered through the windows; it had to be at least 12, much too early for Ryuzaki to wake up on a Sunday…

Unhappy with his position, Ryuzaki flopped over onto his stomach, cuddling his arms around his pillow and emitting a content sigh. Yesterday seemed so far away in the brunette's groggy mind; what even had he done…?

Events from yesterday lazily filtered back into the half-awake's thoughts; thinking over it, ghosts didn't exist… he must've been dreaming…

Yes, yes, that sounded about right… Maybe his encounter with that ghost was nothing more than a dream…

"Your snoring is obnoxious to listen to."

Ryuzaki sat up immediately, blood pounding in his ears from the sudden movement. "S-shit, don't do that!" He cursed, eyes finding the ghost he had met last night. His lips tugged into a frown – so it wasn't just a dream.

The ghost was floating in mid-air; were he still alive, he would be lying on his stomach with the position he was floating in. Small hands balled up into fists held his head up as he peered down at Ryuzaki, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Your hair looks like a lion's mane, too."

"Tch, I don't remember askin' you." Ryuzaki muttered, slipping out of bed and stretching. "Y'know, for someone who just _died_ you'd think you'd be a little more serious... you're pretty casual for someone who's only just met me last night."

"You don't pose a threat to me, seeing as how I'm already dead." The boy explained, adjusting his spectacles. "What, would you prefer me hostile over casual?"

"No, I mean I like casual, it's just… weird, comin' from a stranger."

"I suppose you make a valid point." He shrugged, floating over to face Ryuzaki again as he got ready.

"Of course I do." Realizing he still wore his jeans from last night, having never taken them off, Ryuzaki cast a glance the ghost's way. "Say, um… you don't have a name yet… a-anyways, you think maybe you could give me a moment to change?"

With a subtle nod, the ghost left, phasing through the wall that lead to the living room. Ryuzaki shook his head, noticing his room cleaned entirely. He dropped his hold on the shirt he had chosen for today, taking in his room.

"Ghoooooost…?" He called out.

"Yes?" His voice was distant; he was probably in the kitchen.

"Why's my room clean…?"

"I took the liberty of organizing everything while you slept." He explained, voice becoming less distant with every word. Wide eyes gazed at Ryuzaki as he poked his head through the door; quite literally at that, as it was closed. "You don't need to thank me."

Ryuzaki stooped low to grab at the shirt he had dropped, easing it over his head. "I wasn't going to."

"You'll appreciate the gesture soon enough," The ghost sighed, easing himself back into the room. He made his way to a small display case rest atop Ryuzaki's drawer, peering into it. After a moment he looked back to Ryuzaki. "You like Duel Monsters?"

"Yeah." The brunette nodded, grabbing a brush from his dresser. Brushing roughly through tangled locks, Ryuzaki met the ghost's gaze. "Why?"

"I…" Thick silence encased his train of thought. "I used to play it too… I-I'm remembering now…"

"You did?"

Teal hair bounced up and down as the ghost nodded. "Y-yeah, I was a duelist… I remember going to tournaments…"

"What sort of a deck did you have?"

He shook his head. "I can't remember. You like dragons?"

The ghost pointed to a card resting out for display – the Red Eyes Black Dragon. It was Ryuzaki's cherished card. The brunette chuckled. "Well, my deck's mostly dinosaurs, but I have a few dragon cards in there too. They called me the dino duelist."

"Called?" Curious blue hues peered back to Ryuu.

"Yeah, I don't really duel much anymore." He shrugged, finishing brushing through his hair. Finding his crimson cap, he placed it over his hair, moving his lavender bangs out of his line of vision. "I dunno, had a close call where I almost lost my Red Eyes. That card's special to me."

"I can't remember for the life of me what was in my deck…" The ghost sighed, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Not a card, not a strategy, nothing!"

"Well, if you were in tournaments, you must'a been good." Ryuzaki offered sympathetically. "An' you remembered you were a duelist… you didn't remember that before… maybe the more stuff you're exposed to, the more stuff you learn about yerself?"

"Maybe." The ghost nodded. "But I don't know what will trigger memories about myself… for instance, where I live, or what my name was…"

"I dunno what could make ya remember that." A small frown tugged at Ryuzaki's lips. "… Say, do you think they had, like, an article about you in the newspaper?"

"Why would they have something like that about me?"

"I dunno, maybe a missing persons' report or somethin'. It's a place t'start, right?"

The ghost nodded. "Yeah! Do you have a library in this town?"

"Domino City? Yeah, we better, for how big the city is. Do you wanna start there?"

The ghost nodded. "I remember enough to know I liked to read… it may be worthwhile. You'll need bus fare."

"Yeah yeah, it better not be expensive… an' we better find it, or you're gonna owe me however much it costs." Ryuzaki sighed, motioning for the ghost to follow him as he opened the door to his room and made his way out to the living room.

"Won't your mother wonder where you're going?" The ghost spoke up as Ryuzaki slipped on his shoes. "I mean, does she usually allow you to wonder around the city?"

"She's gone for most'a the day workin' an' all, so I don't think she minds." The brunette offered a casual shrug, throwing on an oversized green jacket. He made a dash for the keys, slipping them into a coat pocket. "I mean, she was the one who suggested I take'a hike to the forest, where I found you… she's never said anything 'gainst it b'fore."

"Interesting." The ghost chimed in, phasing through the door. "C'mon, let's go, we don't have all day!"

* * *

The two ended up booking a tram ride into the inner depths of the city, opting to stay in the back of the bus where not too many people were loitering about. Ryuzaki had his nose dug into a magazine, his companion floating an inch above the seat next to him, staring idly out the windows in an attempt to distract himself.

"Say, how come you don't phase out the back of the tram when it moves?" Ryuzaki piped up quietly after about twenty minutes of silence, turning his head to watch the semi-transparent ghost.

The teal-haired boy offered a shrug in response, not averting his gaze from the window. "I have somewhat a sense of gravitational pull that keeps me fixated to an object if I feel like it; for example, the seat I'm floating above. I choose to stay bound near it, so I move with it… does that make sense?"

"Not really." Ryuzaki muttered, going along with his words anyways. "Say, you still don't have a name yet, right?"

"How many times do I need to tell you I don't before you finally understand that? No, I don't have a name yet."

"Hmm… I wanna assign you one!"

The ghost sighed, muttering something along the lines of 'It's going to be stupid, isn't it' under his breath.

"How about… Glasses?"

The ghost's head whipped around to face Ryuzaki almost immediately. "Excuse me? _Glasses_?!"

"Yeah, 'cause you wear glasses!"

"If we're going off of the topic of 'things you notice at a first glance', I might as well call you 'homeless'; you look the part, anyways." He hissed sourly, arms crossing over his chest.

"Oh don't be sour, it's better than callin' you 'ghost' anyways…"

"At least 'ghost' doesn't sound completely idiotic."

"Neither does Glasses." Ryuzaki sighed, Yokohama accent spiking in indignation.

"We better find my name out soon…" His companion sighed, more to himself than to Ryuzaki. "Give me an hour of being called 'Glasses' and you won't have to worry about me following you for very long."

* * *

Aided with the company of a map of the city, the two hustled down city street after city street, making small side conversation as they did. Most of it consisted of 'No, you turn right _here_,' or other small pieces of advice from Ryuzaki's ghostly companion, who seemed to take great delight in getting to their library as soon as possible.

A butterfly sported its wings through the air, flapping gracefully around the teal-haired ghost. He cast a curious eye to the creature as it flew through his body, shuddering at the feeling of having a living creature flutter through him.

"I guess it's butterfly season, huh." Ryuzaki chimed in, watching the little creature dart through the air. "It's pretty, huh."

"I… suppose so." Slender shoulders shrugged as the ghost adjusted his glasses. "I have a strange feeling, one I can't describe… it's kinda pretty, I suppose, for a bug."

"With your beetle glasses you're sportin', I'm surprised you're not more inta bugs." Ryuzaki hummed thoughtfully. "Who knows, maybe it was your thing."

Another shrug from the ghost. "Maybe… it feels familiar… maybe I did like them when I was alive?"

"Say, Glasses." Ryuzaki mused after another moment of silence, turning his nose up to watch his companion. "Can other people see you?"

"Don't call me that." The boy hissed back. "No, I don't think they can." His voice took a light, sarcastic tone to it. "For whatever reason, I think that if they saw a boy walking around with a ghost, they wouldn't be so calm. But you know, it may just be me who'd react in a less-than-civilized manner to a paranormal entity."

"Oh hush, don't get snippy with me." Ryuu chuckled, brushing his hand through the side of his companion. He shuddered, retracting back as a wave of cold shot through his body.

"Let me see that map, you're gonna get lost." The ghost sighed, peering over Ryuzaki's shoulder. "We're closer than I thought we were… take a left at the corner, it should be at the end of the street from there."

Ryuzaki nodded, picking up his pace in walking, his ghost companion patiently following behind. He sped up, turning the corner and smiling when his eyes met the desired building. _Domino City Library_ was printed on a sign out front; the building itself was relatively old in comparison to the surrounding buildings.

"Think I found it." He purred, beaming in satisfaction at the small smile that brimmed his ghosts' lips.

"Come on, we don't have time to waste."

The semi-transparent puff of ghost sped up, leaving Ryuzaki to hustle after him, calling 'Wait up! Glasses!' at almost constant intervals. His ghostly companion wasted no time, phasing through the main doors of the library without so much as a response.

Short legs bound up the steps, slamming the doors open louder than was probably necessary. Being a place for books and bookworms, the library was relatively empty today – perfect, a boy and a ghost didn't need much audience. It took a moment of searching for his pale friend, though he found him soon enough, phasing through a bookshelf to meet up with Ryuzaki.

"So where do we begin?" The brunette questioned softly, peering up to meet his gaze.

His companion shrugged in response. "Ask the librarian if she has any newspapers from neighboring cities. You were looking for a missing persons' report, correct?"

Ryuzaki nodded. "That's gonna be the quickest way to find out yer name, and where ya came from… c'mon, I'll go ask her."

Ryuzaki's companion followed him along as he walked towards the main desk in the back of the library, catching the attention of an elderly lady he assumed to be the librarian.

"May I help you?" She inquired, busying herself with stacking books on a display table.

"Do you have any newspapers from neighboring cities?" He asked, feeling a bit awkward in her presence with a ghost she couldn't see by his side.

She turned her head to peer at him; Ryuzaki was half-afraid she'd see the little semi-transparent being travelling with him and freak – though she smiled softly and nodded, straightening her posture. "Come to do a little research, huh? Yes, I have a pile of newspapers behind my desk… what city do you need, deary? Osaka? Hiroshima?"

"Ummm…" Ryuzaki turned to peer up at his companion, who gave a shrug in response. "A-all the ones you got, that come from cities on the main island, if ya don't mind."

"Follow me," The librarian motioned, showing him her desk. He followed patiently as she shuffled behind the counter, shoving a large stack of newspapers in Ryuzaki's general direction.

"Please don't take any for keeping," she mused. "I like to keep these for the stories and events. If there's anything you need let me know."

She opened a door behind the desk to go to a back-room, leaving Ryuzaki alone with the stack of newspapers. Once he was sure she was out of earshot, he turned his gaze over to his companion. "You ready t'start lookin'?"

"Yes." The ghost replied with a nod. "Cleaning your room last night, I learned I can manipulate and grab onto inanimate objects, so I can move the newspapers by myself…"

"That might be dangerous if anyone comes in…" The brunette muttered under his breath, turning his gaze to watch the library floors; to his relief, no one else was within distance. "… But in the meantime, yeah, that'll make quicker work'a things anyways…"

He separated the pile of newspaper into two separate stacks, shoving one across the desk in his companion's direction. "Start searchin'."

Time passed as the two searched through newspaper after newspaper, burning through cities as they checked over each issue – Osaka, Kyoto, Sendai – to no avail.

Losing hope in ever finding a missing person for his ghostly companion, Ryuzaki flipped an issue to a city he hadn't heard of before, though one he knew was eastern to Domino. He flipped to where he knew the missing persons' section would be, skimming down names and profiles until he paused, eyes freezing over the profile of a boy with a bowl-cut and glasses.

"Hey, Glasses… I think I found you."

"Really?" He felt the ghost shift impatiently, floating over to read his report. Both boys stared down at the sheet of paper in front of them, reading a report of what was unmistakably the ghost floating next to Ryuzaki.

_Name: Insector, Haga_

_Last seen: April 9__th_

_Age: 14_

_Birthday: July 21__st_

_Description: Last seen on Wednesday, Haga stands at 5'3 and was seen leaving his hometown alone to an unidentified location. _

"April 9th… that was on Wednesday."

There was more written, what with a contact number for his parents and all, though Ryuzaki didn't bother to read any further, opting instead to stare at the name and given picture of the boy.

"Insector Haga…" he repeated, watching his companion. "So your name was Haga, huh…?"

"Y-yeah… yeah, it was. I remember now… Haga…" He had a wistful look to his eyes, for the first time since Ryuzaki met him truly looking heartbroken as he repeated his name.

Ryuzaki turned his nose back down the paper, reading again. "… You were only 14 when you died…"

"… I was almost 15…"

Haga shivered then, arms crossing over his chest as he stared down at his picture. "C-c'mon, Ryuzaki, let's go…"

"… We can't leave the newspaper here." Ryuzaki frowned. "It has vital information on it – where you lived, how to contact your parents…"

"The librarian said not to take it, dumbass."

"Since when did I ever listen to rules?" Ryuzaki hissed, already hiding the newspaper under his arm and making an exit for the door. "Let's head out, b'fore she comes back."

Haga followed alongside Ryuzaki, neither speaking up until they were back on the tram home – it was getting late and Ryuzaki wanted to be back before his mother got off from work. Haga's glances back to his report didn't go unnoticed by the brunette – he failed to speak up, though, for fear of saying something that would make Haga upset.

Finally, half-way into their tram ride home, Haga finally spoke up.

"… I wonder if my parents know yet… that I'm gone…"

"Hm?" Ryuzaki mused, peering up to watch Haga. Realizing he had spoken aloud, the ghost shook his head, offering a small smile in Ryuzaki's direction.

"It's weird to think about being alive, with a family and any potential friends…" He shrugged. "Don't mind my chatter… for knowing my name now, and my age, I still don't know anything about my actual _life_… parents, friends, nothing."

"You learn stuff as you're exposed to it." Ryuzaki offered. "You'll know more about yerself the closer we get to takin' ya home, to the afterlife. Don't worry about it for now, okay?"

Haga nodded, giving a soft sort of chuckle. "You better not screw this up, or believe me, I'll never get off your back about it. The sooner you get me to the afterlife the better."

"You keep sayin' that," Ryuzaki purred. "Don't worry, I don't break promises… b'sides, I don' think I could deal with a naggin' ghost for my whole life. Too much responsibility for me to handle."

"Tch. I wouldn't be too much of a burden, don't flatter yourself."

"Are you kidding? You haven't left me alone since we met."

"Not like you've anything better to do in your spare time; your deck doesn't seem to be used all-too often."

Haga beamed cheerfully as Ryuzaki pouted. "S-shut up, people're givin' me weird looks for talkin' t'somethin' that ain't there in their eyes… wait 'til we get home, then we can talk."

"Excuses, excuses." The teal-haired boy only grinned.

* * *

"Okan, I'm home!" Ryuzaki chimed as he threw open the door. Met with silence, Ryuzaki turned to flip the light on, shrugging. "Guess she's not home yet."

"What time does she usually get home?" Haga asked, spinning mid-float as he made his way to the couch, floating above it.

"Depends on when her shift ends." The brunette replied, shutting the door behind him and throwing his cap off.

Haga's nose crinkled up at Ryuzaki's uncovered hair. "I don't know why you bothered brushing it this morning; it looks exactly like it did when you woke up. Like a rat's nest."

"Oh hush, ghost, I didn't ask you…" Ryuzaki huffed.

"Now that we know my name's Haga, I don't think '_ghost_' is a very polite term; stick to my name." Haga scolded.

Ryuzaki opened his mouth to speak, cut off by the low growl of his stomach. A sheepish grin adorned tan features as he chuckled. "Welp, it's dinner time for me."

Haga followed Ryuzaki to the kitchen, peering curiously at him as he grabbed a microwavable burrito from the fridge. "Ahh, is that for dinner? Grab me a plate too, it's about time I ate something."

Indigo orbs met electric blue hues. "… You're a ghost… ghosts don't eat."

"… O-oh, right." A light flush spread over Haga's cheeks as he averted his gaze to the floor. "I'm still getting used to the whole 'being dead' thing…"

Ryuzaki popped the burrito in the microwave, resting with his arms against the counter. "That's okay, you'll get the hang of it."

"Tch, that's like telling a newborn he'll get used to walking if he tries it a couple times." Haga shot back, unable to keep a small snort from resounding in laughter. After a minute of silence, he frowned in contemplation. "You know… what do we do now? I mean, we got the newspaper that has information about me on it… where do we go from there?"

"I dunno." Ryuzaki shrugged, thinking the question over himself. He was lost at what to do. "I mean, trips that far outta town are expensive, and we'd have to wait a weekend t'make the trip… for now, I s'pose we can save up money t'make the trip, maybe in the mean time try to get some memories 'bout yer past life back in ya. That sound fair?"

"I'd like a quicker schedule, not just 'wait for a weekend when you're free.'" The semi-transparent sighed, though changed his approach when Ryuzaki shot a small glare his way. "… But I suppose it works out, what with you probably having school and all… it's good enough."

"Crap, I have school tomorrow!" Ryuzaki groaned – the microwave screamed in alert that his food was done. Taking the burrito out and ripping his teeth into it, he spoke again. "You gonna come with me? Or stay b'hind?"

"T-that's disgusting, don't talk with a full mouth!" Haga blanched, tongue sticking out in disgust. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to attend school with you – I can't think of anything I'd like to do while you're out… eh, why not."

"It'll be boring," Ryuzaki shrugged. "I prob'ly won't be able to talk t'ya fer most'a the day…"

"You're not exactly great company when you _are_ talking to me," the ghost teased, chuckling to himself. "Oh, well, I can occupy myself while I'm there. If I disappear suddenly, just assume I'm at the library."

"So you were a bookworm," the brunette observed, scratching thoughtfully at his chin as he swallowed the last of his dinner. "Do you remember what you liked to read about?"

"Err… not exactly… it's kind of like, it's on the tip of my thoughts… but still buried down deep somewhere…" A small frown etched across the semi-transparent's features. "I'm sure it'll come to me with more prodding at my past… it's best not to concern myself with things I can't really do yet…"

"You'll know more about yourself soon enough," Ryuzaki assured, striding out of the kitchen. "Okan shouldn't be home for another few hours if they put her on a night shift…"

"What would you like to do with your remaining time?"

"I dunno what pastimes I could do with a ghost," The brunette chuckled. "It's late enough t'go t'bed… internet's not workin', so I can't use the computer…"

"Well, you have school tomorrow," Haga offered. "You might as well get to bed."

"You're not watching me while I change, though, stay out here until I tell ya it's safe fer you to come in."

Haga's eyes narrowed at Ryuzaki's pointed glance. "T-tch! Don't flatter yourself. Like I'd have any interest in watching you change."

"Then you'll have no problem waiting until I'm done." The brunette purred, happy grin adorning tanned features. "I'll only be a moment."

When Ryuzaki had finished changing, Haga poked his head in, inviting himself into the other's recently clean room. "Why you wanna stay in here, I have no idea," the brunette had muttered as he flicked the light off, climbing into bed.

Haga floated at the foot of Ryuzaki's bed, resting his semi-transparent body against a base that came up past the sheets. "Nice night-light," He snickered, nodding towards a dim light that watched over a snake's tank.

"Hiss needs light all hours of the day," Ryuzaki rolled his eyes, referring to his corn-snake. "It ain't a night-light."

"You named your snake _Hiss_?"

"What? It's a bad-ass name."

"A seven-year-old could come up with a better name than that."

"I _was_ seven when I named her, smartass."

"… Corn-snakes only live to be about ten, right? Your snake's pretty old."

"Yeah, I suppose… about eight or nine, by now." Ryuzaki shrugged, sure the gesture was unseen in the darkness. "Babe's gettin' pretty old… do you remember having any pets?"

Haga shook his head. "No."

"… You know, in this light I can hardly see you."

"I suppose that's what I get for being a ghost, huh."

Both boys chuckled, companionable silence taking over until a thought came to Ryuzaki.

"… Why are you so friendly to me?"

"Hmm?" Haga shrugged, eyes closing contently as he rested his head back. "I remember enough to know I was a little shit to people I didn't like, but you… you're different. I mean, you're my only ticket to freedom, so I suppose that to some extent I kind of _have_ to be pleasant around you…"

"Yeah, but we only just met… I mean, pleasant or not…"

"I understand what you mean. Tch, I-I dunno, why do you ask?"

It was Ryuzaki's turn to shrug. "Growin' up, I guess I didn't really have many friends…? That includes now, haha, there's no one I really hang out with on'a regular basis… it's weird to have someone t'talk to."

"… I don't remember if I had friends or not, but… given the lack of memory of any… I don't think I had friends either."

"You think so?"

"I don't know. It's hard to tell what's from memory, and what I just lacked when alive." A wistful sigh came from the semi-transparent boy, lips tugging into a small frown. "Some things for the life of me, I just can't seem to remember – friends may be one of those things, I suppose we'll find out when we get to my home town… how are you going to make the money up to get there?"

"Hell if I know." The brunette admitted, speaking a fear he had secretly had since they found the missing persons' report for Haga. "I don't even know how much it's gonna be to get there… I don't even know where your town is, let alone how t'get there… we'll cross that bridge when we get there though."

More silence overlapped the talking; after a few minutes of nothing, Haga had up-and-assumed Ryuzaki had fallen asleep.

"… Hey, Haga?"

"Hm?" Haga's head snapped from peering out of Ryuzaki's window. "Yeah?"

Ryuzaki sat up, chin resting in the cupped hand of a propped up arm. "What do you think's holdin' you back from goin' to the afterlife?"

"I have no idea." Haga muttered, closing his eyes again. "I'm pretty sure we can rule out 'vengeance', seeing as how I apparently had no friends… what we need is someone who knows more about ghosts than we do. Even as a ghost I know nothing about what ghosts do… hell, I didn't know they existed until I _became_ one."

"That makes two of us." Ryuzaki chuckled. "So like, find a psychic?"

"I don't know where we'd find a legitimate psychic… most ones you find are fakers with dumb crystal balls and whatnot…"

"… I think there's a psychic at our school, now that I think 'bout it…"

"You're joking."

"No, no, I'm pretty certain…" Ryuzaki shook his head, brows knitting together in concentration. "He's like, a year above me I think… Espa, or somethin' like that… he always boasted about being psychic; that's how he won duels 'gainst other kids."

"Tch, he already sounds fake." Haga rolled his eyes behind his spectacles.

"If he's for real, then he might be our ticket t'getting' you free…"

"It's worth a shot, I suppose, as good as any other." Slender shoulders shrugged under a gray cardigan. "You can try to find him tomorrow… in the meanwhile, really, I'd suggest getting rest."

"You gonna stay here all night?"

"Ghosts don't really sleep, and listening to you snore isn't the most appealing thing in the world… I'm certain I'll find something more entertaining; like watching the moon."

"Haha! Rude."

A slight smile tugged at the corner of Haga's mouth. "Get some rest, Ryuzaki."

"Yeah, yeah." Ryuzaki gave a light roll of his eyes, turning onto his side as he adjusted his position. "G'night, Haga."

"Goodnight, Ryuzaki."


	3. 3 - Clairvoyance

The steady, high-pitched whine of an alarm clock awoke Ryuzaki from his slumber, groaning incoherently as he flopped onto his side, trying to shut the contraption up. A pissy sigh emitted itself from deep within Ryuzaki's throat as he staggered, hand coming up to slap at the alarm clock in an almost cliché manner until it finally stopped its ceaseless whining.

_Serves the damn thing right, I was havin' a nice dream…_ He thought sleepily, turning back to cuddle closer to his pillow.

"… You're going to be late if you don't wake up soon, you know."

"A-ah! I told you not to do that!" Ryuzaki snapped as his eyes fluttered open, wake-up call rushing shocked blood through his veins as he sat up. "My heart can only take so much racin' from you at a time… you're gonna give me a heart attack one'a these days."

"Tch." Haga clicked his tongue, eyes alit with amusement at Ryuzaki's dramatic reactions. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Good, then I won't be the only ghost around, now will I? Get up, we have an important day ahead of us."

"You ask too much'a me…" The brunette whined, dragging himself out of bed with a satisfying pop of his back. He stretched as he stood, flexing his fingers and yawning. "What're you goin' on about, important day…?"

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten," Haga muttered, skimming through the air over to Ryuzaki's dresser. Hands fidgeted themselves into his pile of clothes, sorting through countless hole-ridden shirt after hole-ridden shirt. "Don't tell me all you have to wear is moth-food! You have to look presentable for the psychic!"

"Who…? Oh, yeah, we're gonna see Espa t'day, aren't we…" Still not entirely awake, the brunette shifted his neck. "Aww, he ain't gonna care none what I look like…"

"It's still best that you look presentable," Haga hissed, tossing an undershirt to Ryuzaki and grabbing the cobalt blue school uniform as well. "There; with that on you'll look slightly less ridiculous. It'll make you look less scrawny, after all."

"Thanks, _Okan_, I'd _hate_ t'look scrawny." The brunette teased with a grin, easing on his undershirt and accepting the cobalt jacket from Haga as well.

"Brush your hair too, while you're at it."

"Go haunt some ol' people 'r somethin', I don't need a babysitter t'tell me what t'do." Ryuzaki purred, flipping his hair over his shoulder in a smug fashion. "B'sides, ya told me last night it didn't make a diff'rence whether I brushed my hair or not."

"Tch, I was joking." Haga mused, levitating a hairbrush towards his companion. "Just because your hair inevitably looks like a rat's nest 24/7 doesn't mean you should just ignore logical hygiene routines."

"So you were a clean-freak as well as a bookworm… got it." The brunette teased, easing his comb through his tangled hair. His words were met with a mean glare.

"There's nothing 'clean-freakish' about caring about your health." Haga corrected, hissing at the brunette wearily. "J-just – hurry up already, I'm tired of waiting for you, we have a busy day ahead of us."

"What'm I even gonna say t' Espa when I see him?" Ryuzaki sighed, speaking a thought that had plagued him since they decided on seeing him. "'_Hey there buddy, I know we've never talked or nothin' but I got this ghost followin' me and I was hoping you could tell me how to get him off my back?_'"

"Tch! Your words will be kinder than that, surely – I'm not _that_ much of a burden on you. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were even beginning to warm up to me…"

"Well, havin' a ghost around's kinda cool I guess… guess I got used t'having you around."

"Point proven – anywhom, you'll know what to say when you see him; I'm sure you're a charming gentleman when given the chance." Haga mockingly assured, voice thick with sarcasm.

"M'hmm… yeah, charming. Have you even met me?"

Haga didn't dignify that with a response, opting to make a low 'tch' noise under his breath and cock his head pointedly in the direction of the living room. "I'll leave you to your… morning routine. You better be ready to go soon. Do you walk to school?"

"Yeah, it ain't too far from the house – Okan leaves way before I wake up."

"Yeah, I heard her get ready and leave." Haga nodded, slowly making his way to the door. "I stayed confined to this room, of course; I doubt anyone other than you can see me, but it's better to be safe than sorry… I'd hate to terrify your mother."

"I don't think she'd be happy seein' a ghost in the house… 'damn it Ryuzaki, first you let a bunch'a stray cats in, now a spirit? This is why I don't like you goin' outside boy'." Ryuzaki mused, chuckling in amusement as he finished brushing his hair, grabbing his red hat and slipping it on. "You can go wait in the livin' room, I just gotta brush my teeth an' then we can leave."

"You… let stray cats in your home?" The semi-transparent was hard-pressed to keep a straight face, quieted chuckles emitting from his lips as he ghosted through the wall. "What a dork." He purred from the other side, presumably floating to the living room.

Ryuzaki waltzed to the bathroom, opting not to dignify that with a response as he started brushing his teeth. Never being one to take much effort into dental hygiene, the task was done within two minutes, and rinsing his mouth out the brunette made his way to join back up with his ghostly companion.

"It's not even light out yet," Haga noted in disinterest, looking out of Ryuzaki's small front window.

"It's, like April; it'll lighten up soon enough." Ryuzaki mused, grabbing for his backpack and slinging the beaten up, second-hand book-carrier over his shoulder. "Ready to go?"

"Oh no, let me just get on my shoes – of _course_ I am." The semi-transparent teased, his tone not nearly as mocking as he had meant for it to be.

"Good, then let's hurry!" The brunette pushed the door open, opting to ignore Haga and his comments. "Maybe if we're super lucky we can meet 'im before school."

"Do you know much about this boy? How do you figure we'll find him?" Inquired the semi-transparent, following after Ryuzaki.

"Tch, if I knew anything about him I wouldn't be so nervous t'go talk to him…" Ryuzaki muttered, grip tightening on his backpack. "I'm lost on what to say to him when we _do_ find him..."

"How on earth could you be lost?" The semi-transparent groaned. "How difficult is it to ask someone for help?

"You forget, I'm askin' him help over a _ghost_. Not exactly the, um… most common conversation starter out there…"

"I doubt he's even a real clairvoyant." Haga mused in irritation, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tch… someone having psychic powers… how stupid the thought."

"Oh, be nice. Besides, you're hardly in a position t'talk, seein' as how you're a _ghost._" Ryuzaki teased, keeping his words sincere as a small smile graced his lips. "I didn't think ghosts were real 'til I met you, now I'm wonderin' what _else_ is out there that we don't know about… bein' a psychic's hardly anything interestin' in comparison to the possibilities…"

"Possibilities? You mean like werewolves and vampires? Oh, give me a break. Those only exist in books."

"You weren't very open-minded when you were alive, were you."

"T-tch." Haga clicked his tongue, cheeks brightening even in his transparency. "Probably not. But the idea of such things is ridiculous…"

"I bet some people would think the ideas of ghosts are ridiculous, too, but look where you are now."

"Don't change the subject to me." Haga hissed, shooting a glare in his companion's direction.

"I'm not. You count as 'such ridiculous things' now that you're a ghost."

"… I suppose I hadn't thought about it like that before…"

"But what I _really_ wanna find out is why I can see you, but no one else can…"

"I would have thought that was obvious… I mean, you were the one who found me in the forest, correct? I followed you back home because I wanted your help in getting me to the afterlife, since I'm apparently incapable of doing so myself… but, I suppose, that doesn't exactly explain _why_ or _how_ you can see me… just another question to ask Espa when we find him?"

Ryuzaki nodded. "We'll have to make'a list'a things we wanna say."

"That already sounds lame."

"It'll be even lamer if I go up to him an' I can't get a word outta my mouth 'cause I forgot everything I wanted to ask." Ryuzaki retorted.

"You're such a nerd, that'd happen even if you had an entire script prepared." The semi-transparent teased, offering Ryuzaki a small smile.

The brunette's mouth opened to speak; upon seeing Haga's smile, however, he stopped to reevaluate his words. "It's not often you smile, yanno, you like much nicer when you do."

The smile was gone, replaced by the quirk of a questioning eyebrow and the soft pink tinge of his cheeks. "Thanks, I suppose… you're an even bigger nerd than I thought you were."

Ryuzaki's cheeks reddened, indigo eyes averting to the ground in front of them as they continued their path to school. "Given everything I've learned about you since we met, I doubt you were much better off."

"Being classified as a nerd doesn't mean you aren't well off." Haga scoffed.

Ryuzaki offered a small 'hmm' of acknowledgment, allowing a companionable silence to flow over the two as they walked.

* * *

The school was the biggest in the city by far, exceeding a population far above any other high school in Domino. The two knew they'd be hard-pressed to find Espa the moment they walked on campus; students were bustling about here and there, talking and going about their mornings. Ryuzaki gave Haga a small smile, telling him that he was sorry in advance for having to ignore his ghostly companion for the day.

"I'm gonna need to go about the day actin' as if there's _not_ a ghost floatin' over my shoulder." He had said, chuckling softly to himself.

"What if I need you?" Haga asked while they were still out of earshot. "I'm not going to take kindly to you ignoring me, Raptor…"

"Then I'll find an excuse to leave. You're a ghost, how much trouble could you get into?"

Ryuzaki spent the morning before class looking to Espa; hopes in vain, as the mint-haired boy was nowhere to be seen. Haga had gotten irritated halfway through their search, muttering something under his breath about going to the library to read.

Classes passed quickly, Ryuzaki's eyes constantly watching the clock to the point of getting scolded for lack of focus in class. His mind was elsewhere, sizing up possible approaches to getting the elder male's attention, any way to make their talk swifter and easier.

As lunch approached, Ryuzaki had found Haga floating about in the hallway [given Haga's attachment to Ryuzaki, he always had a general idea of where the still-living was], getting his attention discreetly and walking to the cafeteria.

"You have a cafeteria?" Haga had asked with a frown. "… I don't remember one at my old school…"

"Yeah, the school's trying to Americanize." Ryuzaki shrugged. "Not too many schools here do."

"Think he has your lunch period?"

Ryuzaki laughed. "For all the trouble it's taken me to find him and figure out what I'm gonna say, he damn-well better!"

Usually blessed with an insatiable hunger, Ryuzaki opted not to waste time trying to get food; the quicker they found Espa, the better.

They passed Jounouchi Katsuya with a small hiss of distaste from Ryuzaki, Haga opting not to say anything as they scanned the lunch room for their potential clairvoyant.

Eyes fell on a mostly empty desk, one mint-haired teenager sitting there alone, food untouched, nose dug into a thick novel.

"That's him, alright."

"Good, now get going!" Haga purred in delight.

Ryuzaki approached the hunched-over figure, natural nervousness slowing his movements as he tried to figure out how best to get Espa's attention. That novel must have been terribly exciting; grey eyes shifting quickly in a left-to-right fashion, blocking out all other aspects of the world.

How many ways this could possibly end badly, and they were all swarming through Ryuzaki's mind. _I have no idea what to say to him._

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Haga hissed into the brunette's ear, keeping a low float next to him. His arms were crossed impatiently. "Are you going to stand there all lunch sizing him up, or are you going to go over and talk to him already?"

"_Give me time_," Ryuzaki hissed, under his breath. If Haga had anything else to say, he kept it to himself – Ryuzaki figured he could sense his nervousness.

It couldn't be that difficult, right?

Ryuzaki had talked to plenty of people before.

What was different about this guy?

Nodding his head with a newfound sense of courage, Ryuzaki bound swiftly closer to the cobalt-clad teenager, courage disappearing into nervousness the moment that the other boy realized he had an audience.

Ryuzaki stood in front of the table Espa currently sat at, waiting for the boy to acknowledge his existence. A few seconds passed, the older male visibly tensed as he waited for the brunette to make a move.

"Umm… hello…"

Concrete-shaded hues stared up at Ryuzaki through mint bangs as Espa slowly leveled his face up to peer at his newfound guest, face deadpanned with the most concentrated look of seriousness Ryuzaki had ever seen.

"Well," Espa spoke after a few moments observation. "It's certainly been awhile since I've last had a visitor…"

"Yeah, well um, listen my name's Ryuzaki and I need your he—"

"I wasn't referring to you." Espa cut in firmly, gaze never faltering from its deadpanned expression. His eyes shifted to Ryuzaki's left, where Haga floated. "I was talking about your friend, there." He continued, with a nod of his head, acknowledging the semi-transparent.

Both boys froze.

"Can I help you two?"

This was certainly new – no one besides Ryuzaki had ever been able to see Haga before. If there were any skepticism about Espa's clairvoyance before, this clearly eradicated all second thoughts and doubts that had accompanied the mint-haired's image.

"My name is Haga," the ghost spoke up when Ryuzaki failed to, adjusting his spectacles. He didn't seem nearly as nervous towards the older male as Ryuzaki had. "And this dimwit I'm stuck with is Ryuzaki; he found me in the woods a few days ago."

"Ahh…" Espa's eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as he scratched at his chin. "Oh yes, I remember hearing about the discovery of your body on the news a night or so ago! Insector Haga, right? What a pleasure."

"Tch, you're too much." The teal-haired boy gave a light roll of his eyes.

"Espa Roba's the name." The clairvoyant gave a curt nod and a smile, deadpanned expression finally breaking into an expression much easier on the eyes. "It's not too often I get visited by spirits; especially ones so recently presumed dead... what can I help you with?"

"I was hopin' you could help us in tryin' to get Haga to the afterlife." Ryuzaki broke in, finding his voice. Espa was much less intimidating when he actually seemed happy. "We don't know nothin' about ghosts, you see…"

A small chuckle emitted from Espa. "You think I have the information you boys are looking for?"

"That's what we're hopin' for, yeah."

"I may be able to help. But if I am, it's best we go to a place where there are less people – talking to a spirit others can't see gets kind of suspicious after awhile."

"Tell me about it." Ryuzaki chuckled nervously, tugging at a strand of his brunette hair. Espa stood, bookmarking his place in his book and motioning for the two to follow him. "Follow me, if you'd please."

"Where are we goin'?" Ryuzaki asked, both following the elder male as he walked towards the cafeteria's exit.

"The library." Came the mint-haired's simple response, not bothering to say anything else.

"I looked there earlier in the day for possible books about ghosts." Haga frowned.

"They're not going to have books about things people don't think are real." Espa explained curtly, brushing into a hall sunlit by large windows. "And if they do, it's all going to be false; 'journeys into the world of the paranormal.'" His voice held a distasteful sneer to it. "I've read enough books about spirits and what-not to realize that no one knows what they're talking about. Fake psychics, is what they are."

"And how are you different, exactly?" Haga questioned, floating ahead of Ryuzaki to keep a low float next to the clairvoyant. "I mean, I have no doubt that you're different; before you, only Ryuzaki could see me… but what exactly makes a psychic?"

"A studious question." Espa purred, taking delight in someone actually caring about his field of profession. "I can sense paranormal entities, be it something harmless like you, or something much more sinister. You're a sight for sore eyes; most beings I see aren't distinguished like you are… blobs of black and gray, like shadows; that's the majority of the things I come in contact with. Those movements you see out of the corner of your eye that you can't quite place; the feel of eyes on your skin as you pass a vacant corridor… that sort of thing. You're just a transparent boy who lost his life recently; much less dangerous to work with."

"… Sounds dangerous…"

"It can be." The cobalt-clad teen shrugged nonchalantly. "Once you start to notice them, they notice you back. If you aren't gifted with an extraordinary sense of the paranormal, they leave you alone for the most part… you're nothing but a still-beating heart to them… but if you can actually see them or sense them; can name what kind of spirit they are at a glance, they see you as something more than that."

"Have you ever been hurt by something paranormal you saw?" Ryuzaki cut in, pacing himself to walk alongside the taller boy.

Espa shook his head, wisps of mint clashing against his cheek. "No, thankfully. I may know that there is more to this world than meets the eye, but I am in no way an expert on paranormal entities… I couldn't name a shadowy figure at a first glance if I saw it, nor do I particularly want to. People like that see haunting things that their pursuers have seen in past lives. It's the kind of profession that keeps you awake at night; not one for a guy like me."

"You seem cut out for it." Haga mused.

Espa gave a hearty laugh. "My reaction to you was probably calmer than you'd expected, huh? Well, I suppose to harmless beings like yourself, I can be rather stoic… you're nothing I haven't already seen before a few times."

"To be quite honest," Haga chuckled softly, "I kind of doubted your authenticity at first."

"Yes yes, most people do. I've kind of gotten a bad reputation; plenty of name calling. It doesn't get to me as much anymore." Espa shrugged again. "They're all fools, anyways."

They got to the library at that point, Espa holding the door open for Ryuzaki. With a quick thank you and a nod, the brunette and his ghostly companion entered, pleased to find it mostly absent.

Espa directed them to a table in the far corner of the room, pulling up a chair for himself. "So what did you want to know about spirits?"

"Ahh…" Ryuzaki paused. "Kinda general stuff, I s'pose… he wants to go to the afterlife."

"I know that already." Espa clicked his tongue flatly, concrete-shaded hues staring up at Haga. "The afterlife's what most ghosts strive for."

"What I really want to know is _how_ to get there… what's holding me back?" Haga spoke up, adjusting his glasses as he kept a low float above the table.

"Are you asking what holds ghosts back in general?" The mint-haired boy offered a small tilt of his head. "I mean, at a first glance I couldn't really say what's preventing you from reaching your goal…"

"In general would be nice…"

"Well, there are a number of things that could be preventing you." Espa began. "A great number of factors and what-not… most ghosts such as yourself, seeing as how your death was accidental, doesn't need to worry about revenge or vengeance… your death _was_ accidental, yes?"

Haga nodded. "I had apparently fallen from a tree and broke my neck; crashed my temple into a rock, too."

"Tch, tch." Espa shook his head sympathetically. "What a sad way to go. You're lucky your friend – Ryuzaki, was it? – found you. Spirits can't leave their bodies until another being finds them; usually they either follow that being or head off with their body."

"That explains why I couldn't leave." Haga sighed wistfully.

"Yes. Well, we can rule out revenge… do you think there's something you were meant to do? Something big? For family, friends... unfinished business in general?"

"I… couldn't say. I don't remember anything about my past life; I've concluded I didn't have many friends, though." Haga shrugged. "The way they talked about me in the newspaper, it didn't mention any siblings… only a mother and a father."

Espa hummed in contemplation. "An item you left behind or lost, perhaps?"

Haga visibly tensed, nose scrunching up as his eyes narrowed considerably. Both boys took notice of this, watchful eyes on the semi-transparent as he sorted out his thoughts.

"I… can't remember…"

"Seeing as how you had to pause to think about that one, it's possible that's what's keeping you back… out of the few ghosts I've gotten in the past, the majority of them have a special, sentimental possession they need… be it a teddy bear, a dress, whatever – they need it to pass on."

"Why is that?" Ryuzaki asked.

"Being sentimental, it holds a symbol of attachment in this world." Espa explained. "Keep in mind the ghost, when living, loved this object to bits and pieces – it's a reminder to them of something they once loved."

"That makes sense, I suppose. But if Haga's missin' an object that he loved, don't you think he would at least remember what that object _was_?"

"Not necessarily. I will admit, it's rare that a ghost up-and forgets _everything_, but it's not unheard of." Espa mused, chewing subconsciously on his fingernail. "Reading into him, though, he appears to learn stuff as he's exposed to it."

"We determined that earlier," Haga nodded.

"Good! Then a little snooping and prodding, and you'll likely remember what it was you loved… given that that is what's keeping you, of course."

"The more I think about it, the more it makes sense… much more than vengeance or a best friend I just had to say goodbye to before I get the hell out of here." The ghost continued.

"We were hopin' to plan a trip down to where Haga used to live." Ryuzaki mused.

"That could be dangerous." The clairvoyant advised. "You two didn't know each other when Haga was still alive, correct?"

"Yes, I happened to find him in the forest."

"Then you'd better plan this out _carefully_, if you're hellbent on going." Espa frowned. "A stranger barging in without a carefully thought-out plan is going to be suspicious… you're going to have to come up with a good alibi as to why you're there…"

"You mean like, make up a story about bein' Haga's friend?"

"If that's the route you want to take." Slender shoulders shrugged nonchalantly. "With ghosty over here telling me he didn't have many friends, also paired with the fact he can't remember anything about his parents or life, it might not be the safest route to go."

"It's the only thing we've got so far." Ryuzaki sighed, running his hands through his bangs. "I don't know any other way to get him out of my hair and he refuses to leave on his own."

"Then I'd advise the both of you to save up money to a trip down to wherever town it is Haga lived in. Also – and I know this is an option – I'd advise maybe looking into other ways of getting his sentimental item back. I can't see anybody's parents realistically letting a stranger in to snoop through their son's stuff…"

"I suppose he has a valid point, Ryuzaki." Haga sighed.

"Also, I'd try to refresh memories about Haga's past if I were you." Espa continued. "Try and unearth some things about him – favorite place to eat, favorite pastimes, hobbies… the more you know about him, the better prepared you are in getting him to the afterlife."

The bell ending lunch rang then, cutting into the boys' conversation. Espa stood up, thick novel wrapped in his arms.

"Well, I suppose that makes a hearty conversation for a twenty-minute time frame." He chuckled softly, offering a small smile to the others. "I haven't talked to people this much for a long time. Oh, Ryuzaki – before you go, I'd like to get your number. You and Haga interest me to the point where I'd like to help him get to the afterlife; with the basic questions you boys asked me, it's obvious you have no idea what you're doing."

"Tch." Ryuzaki hissed under his breath, ripping a small sheet of paper out from a journal lying on the librarian's desk. He scribbled his number down and handed it to Espa. "Thanks, Espa."

"Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I hate to get too connected into personal affairs." The mint-haired boy took the paper from Ryuzaki, examining his chicken scratch. "For the love of Jinzo, I've seen prettier handwriting scrawled on bathroom mirrors in blood."

"Charming."

"Thank you kindly." Haga nodded. "You've been a lovely help."

"It's always a pleasure to help out an entity such as yourself."


	4. 4 - Infatuation

Hello my lovelies! Borrowed here - I usually don't post A/N's before in this chapter, but hey, there's a first time for everything! First, thank you for all the reviews, and I'm sorry it took me so long to write this! Second, this was supposed to be longer but I felt bad for the delay so I cut it off. Poor Ryuzaki's finally catching onto his feelings for Haga, haha. It's good to have this up, and I'll be quicker with my next chapter, promise! Have fun reading!

* * *

"Ryuzaki, I was _not_ being a kiss-ass."

"You totally were!" Ryuzaki laughed; the two were currently down the street from Ryuzaki's home, school having ended not too long ago. "_Thank you kindly_– when was the last time you thanked _me_ fer helpin' you out?"

"Espa was twenty times more helpful in a twenty minute time period than you've been the entire time I've spent with you." Haga hissed. "It's only fitting that I thank him."

"He's a know-it-all." Ryuzaki concluded.

"And you're a complainer." The semi-transparent sighed, rolling his eyes.

Ryuzaki stumbled down the driveway to his house at that point, opting to ignore his semi-transparent companion. "T-tch." He sighed, pulling out a key to unlock the door with. "Well, what did you think about what he said?"

Haga phased through the door, impatient with waiting for Ryuzaki. Ryuu finally got the door open, stepping inside to the smell of food cooking on a slow-roaster.

"I definitely think he knows what he's dealing with – _to an extent._" Haga bit his lip thoughtfully as he spoke. "He's definitely no fake psychic."

Ryuzaki walked over to the couch, dropping his backpack on the floor with a stretch of his back. "Go on…"

"I – t-tch, I dunno, why do you care?"

The brunette shrugged, jumping up onto the couch gracelessly. "Because. If he's gonna try an' help us out, I want him t'actually be able to help us, Haga. What you really want is to get to the afterlife – I don't want Espa's help if he's not gonna be able to get you there faster."

"My, my," the ghost remarked. "It almost sounds like you want me gone."

"I… that's not true." Ryuzaki shook his head thoughtfully. "I like havin' you around – you're the one that wants t'get the hell outta dodge."

"There's nothing for a ghost to do in a human's world." Haga sighed wistfully, closing his eyes and scratching at his temple. "I'm happy enough that I can actually manipulate inanimate objects… but even that has its limitations. And, no offense to you, but palling around while you go about your daily life isn't exactly something I can see myself doing for an extended period of time…"

"No, no, I get what you're saying." Ryuzaki mused. "It'd be selfish fer me t'want you to follow me forever. B'sides, I made you a promise, t'get you to the afterlife, and I intend to keep it."

"T-tch…" Haga flipped his head in the other direction, not meeting Ryuzaki's gaze. "D-dumbass."

The two passed a bit of time in companionable silence, Ryuzaki nearly nodding off. Haga came to join him, floating an inch above the couch, lazy gaze on his hands curled up in his lap.

"… Don't you have, like, homework to do or something?"

"Hmm?" Ryuzaki hummed, peering over to the semi-transparent sitting next to him. A small frown graced his lips. "Why do you care?"

"If you do, you should probably get working on it… before it gets late."

"I never bother with work."

"What?" Electric-blue eyes focused on Ryuzaki. Haga scowled in distaste. "You mean, you don't _do_ homework?"

The brunette shook his head. "Never."

"That's ridiculous! D-don't you get any repercussions for that?!"

Square shoulders shrugged carelessly. "Sometimes. I think my teachers just stopped carin' by now. 'It's my life I'm throwin' away', or somethin' like that."

Haga hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously. "No, no way. I'm not allowing for that to happen! You're doing it."

"Tch. What could a ghost do t'make me?"

Haga ripped Ryuzaki's crimson cap off as a show of example, throwing it to a distant corner of the room. "Make your life a living hell and truly live up to the 'haunting' reputation that ghosts have."

"Heeeey, don't mess with my hat." Ryuu hissed short-temperedly, getting up to grab his hat. "You wouldn't dare, _ghost_."

"Really, Ryuzaki. You _really_ believe I wouldn't?"

Ryuzaki turned his head to glare, caught at the sight of Haga sliding Ryuzaki's backpack across the floor. "… How can you even manipulate it…? You're a ghost…"

"Don't ask me, I didn't write the rulebook of ghosts. And don't change the subject. Homework is fun, from what I remember! Surely you're making it out to be a bigger issue than it truly is…"

"Then I seriously doubt we're on the same page." Ryuzaki clicked his tongue. "Homework's for losers. I'm going somewhere else."

"Don't you _dare _leave." The ghost hissed as Ryuzaki started to walk away. "Come sit down or I swear, tonight when you're sleeping I'll rip the covers straight off you."

Ryuzaki sighed. "Haga…"

"I stand by what I say." He retorted, giving a serious nod.

Growling in indignation, Ryuzaki made his way to the couch. "If this takes more than twenty minutes, covers or not I'm leavin'…"

"You're an idiot if you truly think it'll take less than twenty minutes. Like you have anything better to do – come, sit down."

"I swear, Haga, this better be worth it…"

After Ryuzaki had finally agreed to listen to Haga [under threats of water being poured over his head while he wasn't paying attention] and had actually started on his work, Haga had left for a short period of time, warning the boy to refrain from slacking off while he went to do whatever the hell ghosts did. It was boring and foreign, actually doing schoolwork, but Ryuzaki trudged on anyways, fearful of the ghost's threats and sure that he would carry them out if Ryuzaki failed to keep up his end of the bargain.

Haga returned with a bucket of water, [how he got the bucket or the water was beyond Ryuzaki, but it was very much real and quite frankly frightening] looking over Ryuzaki's work.

"… That's wrong."

"Shut up, Haga."

"… That one's wrong too."

"Shut _up_, Haga."

"… Do you have any idea what you're even _doing_? How did you even get that formula – did you pull it out of your _ass_?"

"Haga!" Ryuzaki snapped, teeth gritting at the ghost's less-than-amused glare down at the paper.

"I'm only saying… if you're going to do the work, the least you could do is do it right…"

Ryuzaki froze then, lips quirking into a small, calculating smile. "… Say, Haga, you're pretty smart huh?"

"What?" Haga paused, cut off-guard by Ryuzaki's question. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, eyebrow arched up cautiously. "Tch, of course I am. I remember enough about myself to know that."

Well, now's as good a time as any. "How about puttin' that intelligence t'use?"

"If you're suggesting I help you cheat on _homework_, you can forget it." The ghost hissed in a tone that dared Ryuzaki to keep talking. Keeping a watchful, stern eye on Ryuzaki, he crossed his arms as if to further his point. "That's wrong, and for a boy who can 'never be bothered to do it' they'd find you out instantly."

"No they wouldn't. C'mon, just this once?"

"I'd say that's morally wrong, but for a boy without morals I'm not in much of a position to talk… cheating's still wrong though, even by my standards."

"… One problem?" Ever the persistent one.

"Stop asking. Name one benefit of me helping you cheat."

"Umm… it spares me from having to do it?"

"Take another guess, bones-for-brains."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you don't know _how_ to do it."

This made Haga pause, taken aback. He gracelessly sputtered for a moment, trying to compose his words together. "… What kind of person do you think I am? That's basic algebra, of _course_ I know how to do it."

Ryuzaki smirked, having finally found what made Haga tick - his pride over his intelligence. "Well if it's basic algebra, it shouldn't be a problem for a brain like yours', right?"

"It's not."

"If you can't prove it, I won't believe it. Then you're just as good as I am."

Haga's nose scrunched up, eyes narrowing dangerously. His natural competitive, superior attitude was screaming at him to prove Ryuzaki wrong, that he _was_ better than Ryuzaki at at least something. Morally, he knew that cheating was wrong, but then again when was Haga the man of a thousand morals?

"Move over."

Ryuzaki mentally cheered, scooting over to allow Haga more room. Electric blue eyes scanned over Ryuzaki's work, trying to calculate just where he went wrong. "Scrap all the current work you've done; it'd be quicker for me to just redo the whole assignment altogether. This is the _only_ time, mind you, _don't_ ask again."

"Thank you, Haga."

Haga made surprisingly quirk work - forget that Ryuzaki had questioned his intelligence, this boy was amazing! Ryuzaki was thankful that he had manipulation over a pencil; his handwriting was much too neat to be coined off as Ryuzaki's, though; Ryuzaki noted to rewrite everything at a later hour, after they were done.

After a few moments of thick silence, Haga set the pencil down. "There. Now who's proven themselves?"

A large grin spread across Ryuzaki's lips. "Ghost-boy, I would hug you if I could. Hell yeah you've proven yourself."

"You owe me _so_ bad." Haga warned. "Don't think I won't collect. All in due time."

"More like in record time; you work fast!"

Haga took Ryuzaki's praise with a grain of salt, much too prideful to humbly accept his compliment. "Of course I do; math is my specialty. Well, most fields of work are, now that I think about it..."

His gaze went to Ryuzaki, eyes widening from their narrowed state. He tilted his head as his eyes followed the boy. "Where are you off to?"

"Gettin' something to eat, I'm starving."

"Ahh, get me a plate!" Haga purred, following Ryuzaki into the kitchen. The brunette turned to watch him, an odd expression crossed over his features. "... What? It's the least I deserve, for cheating for you."

"I get the feelin' you're not used to the whole 'being dead' thing, Haga..." Ryuzaki gave a sad smile, trying to imagine the concept of not needing to eat nor being able to eat. "You're a ghost, remember?"

"I - ..." Haga paused, frowning dejectedly. His gaze fell on the floor. "Y-yeah, I remember."

Ryuzaki frowned then, unsure whether or not he should try to console Haga. "If we find a way to get you to eat, I'll definitely make ya somethin' good, 'kay...?"

Blue hues shifted their gaze from the floor to Ryuzaki, a sheepish, thankful smile lighting Haga's lips in a way that made Ryuzaki's heart flutter in satisfaction. "You're corny." Haga mused affectionately. "... Thanks, Ryuzaki."

"Anything for a friend."

Ryuzaki moved to the fridge, rummaging through for any leftover takoyaki. He let out a rough grunt in irritation when he was unable to find any; _Okan must have eaten the rest last night_, he thought to himself. Oh well, microwave burritos were the next best thing.

"Do you really consider me your friend?" Haga spoke up, obviously having thought over Ryuzaki's words.

"Hm?" Ryuzaki hummed, having forgotten that Haga had been there. He turned his gaze to catch an unreadable expression ghost over Haga's face; surprise? It was softer than that… "Yeah, I do, why? It's not every day I help a ghost out in try'na find their way to the afterlife... you're pretty cool."

Haga shrugged, unseen by Ryuzaki. He scoffed as Ryuzaki pulled out a burrito, the normality of the food already wearing off on him. "Are burritos the only component to your diet or something?"

"Funny." Ryuzaki chuckled, placing the frozen hunk of tortilla into the microwave. "Not usually, no - it's just easy."

"I don't like meat."

"I think you said that before." Ryuzaki nodded. "Are you remembering more, or what?"

"Not sure." The ghost shrugged again. "Just... plates of food, after school... but what, I can't name..."

"Hm. I wonder how that works... seein' food but not bein' able to name what it is..."

"It's just unclear." Haga sighed defensively. "My life, it comes around in small visions and whatnot - nights at a tournament; days in the forest..."

"You think you lived a busy life?"

"Aside from all of that, no, I don't. I mean, I'm sure that kept me occasionally busy... but the vacant months were probably lonely."

"Hmm." The brunette hummed, taking his food out of the microwave and biting into it. They paused their conversation to allow Ryuzaki time to eat.

"What's your favorite food, Ryuzaki?" Haga asked suddenly.

Ryuzaki swallowed the bite he had taken. "Takoyaki, I'd say… I like other stuff too, like yellow curry an' jus' meet in general…"

"Tch. Meat-eater."

"Not all of us can stand to eat nothin' but rabbit food."

"If you haven't noticed, I can't eat much of anything now in my current state."

Ryuzaki turned his gaze to Ryuzaki, surprised at the sight of Haga smirking back at him, before he burst into light-hearted laughter. "Don't look so down, 'Zaki!" He purred. "You look like someone shot the family pet."

"T-tch." In spite of himself, the brunette smiled. "Yeah, yeah, the only family pet here's Hiss an' no one'd dare shoot her. That's just a waste'a their time. And since when was my name 'Zaki?"

"Since now." Haga sputtered matter-of-factly.

"It's a dumb nickname."

"It's easier than your full name."

"If you getta call me 'Zaki, I'm callin' you Glasses."

"That's the dumbest nickname I've ever heard, you are _not_ calling me that."

"Then Ryuzaki's fine for you t'say."

"... T-tch, you're such a baby... fine."

* * *

"You need to get to bed, Ryuzaki, you have school in the morning." Haga frowned, watching Ryuzaki sit at his computer desk with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh hush, keep outta my business." Ryuzaki hissed back, sliding his headphones further on his ears to deafen Haga out with death metal. "Twitch Plays Pokémon just caught Zapdos."

"That's the game in which 30,000 people are working the controls all at once?"

"It's 50,000 now."

"Tch, like that's going to accomplish anything in the future." The semi-transparent spat. "Get up now or I'll go short-circuit all the electricity in the house."

"Okan can't afford to call an electrician t'come an' fix that shit, don't you dare." The brunette snapped, turning to glare daggers at Haga, who sat regarding him with an eyebrow quirked in curiosity. Conceding defeat, Ryuzaki got up, stretching out his back as he yawned. "What time is it?"

"10:30."

"Tch, that's early…"

"Not by my standards it isn't; your mother went to bed about an hour ago."

"Okan always hits the sack early," Ryuzaki murmured, walking out of the living room to get to his own. "An' it's only Monday, too… this is gonna be a _long_ week…"

"You'll be fine." Haga purred, phasing through Ryuzaki to get to his room. "You make school out to be a more tedious job than it truly is…"

"Speak for yourself, studious ol' bookworm…" Ryuzaki closed the door behind him as he entered, shifting out of his undershirt.

Haga averted his eyes as Ryuzaki shifted into his night-clothes, peering back over at the small shrine the brunette had dedicated to his Duel Monsters' merchandise and cards. "What's all in your deck?"

"The Red Eyes Black Dragon and a Serpent Night Dragon are my rarest cards…" Ryuzaki mused, flipping the light switch. His nose scrunched up; it had been such a long time since he had picked up his deck, he had forgotten its contents. "I… think I had a Megazowler… oh, and like, Sword Arm of Dragon."

"You honestly don't remember?"

"It's been awhile." The brunette shook his head, climbing into bed and wrapping his arms around his knees as he sat up. Haga went to join him, floating comfortably at the foot of his bed.

"Hmm. Ex-duelist…"

"I was a good one, at least, while I played. Got invited to tournaments and stuff."

"I remember going to a few myself… do you think we ever participated in the same tournament?"

"I don't remember ever seein' a mug like yours… it's hard t'say. You're pretty recognizable."

"Tch, I should hope you mean that in the nicest way possible." Haga spat, unable to stop the small smirk quirking upwards at the corners of his mouth.

"I do, I do."

"So, does my _famous ex-duelist_ companion do anything else in his spare time? Or was that your only hobby?"

"Tch." A lighthearted smile found its way across Ryuzaki's lips. "No clubs at school or nothin', if that's what yer askin'."

"Do you make a habit of visiting forests, or did you happen to catch me on a… rough day?"

Despite himself, hearty laughter emitted from deep within Ryuzaki's throat, a much-needed sentiment for the both of them. "I just caught you on'a bad day. I never go out t'forests, an' after my _last _expedition I'm not too keen on goin' back."

"Tch, I could imagine a sight such as myself would ruin any potential for going back… honestly, though, was I _that_ gruesome?"

The brunette shrugged. "I didn't wanna look at'cha for too long… y'know, dead body an' all – ain't exactly in my field'a things I find cool."

Haga grinned. "Mmn. I'm not cool enough for you? What a pity."

"I mean, now you're pretty cool…" Ryuzaki rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly towards his pale companion. "Which for me is sayin' somethin', seein' as how I don't hang out with many people. You're a real modern miracle."

Even in the dimness of the room, Ryuzaki could see Haga's cheeks light up, his eyes rolling thoughtfully in their sockets.

"… Do you see other ghosts? Ones I can't see?"

"… No, I haven't seen any other ghosts thus far… maybe I can't see them?"

"You'd think you'd be able to…"

"An intriguing theory… one I'll keep an eye out for, next time we're on the town."

The two peered at each other in the upcoming silence that consumed them both, Ryuzaki wondering what on earth had caused him to grow so close to another being and Haga thinking… well, whatever ghosts thought about; the boy was so cryptic it was hard to read into him at any given moment. But there was something about him Ryuzaki fancied; perhaps it was the lack of contact with other people, but he felt a soft spot steadily growing for this boy…

What would he do once Haga had gone? It wasn't something Ryuzaki had thought about; but now, thinking over it, he was overtaken by a sudden wave of sadness at the thought of losing probably the only friend he had ever made… regardless, Haga had to leave; he couldn't spend years as a ghost and quite frankly Ryuzaki didn't know how much longer he could keep the boy along with him – it was too hard to try and fit a ghost in a still-living's world.

But still… Ryuzaki would miss the boy, once he had gone…

"What are you thinking about, Ryuzaki?"

"Hm?" Ryuzaki's eyes glazed back into focus, peering at the puff of smoke sitting across the room from him. "Oh, nothin'… say, Haga… do you consider me your friend? I dunno if I've already asked you this, or…"

"I believe I asked you this earlier, and you said that _you_ considered me a friend, yes."

"I know, I know - but I wanna hear what you think. I mean, you know I think you're my friend an' all, but... do you think I'm _your _friend? I dunno, I'm jus' curious."

"Your friend?" Haga frowned. "Our friendship would be built on a shaky foundation; a mutual want of getting me the heck out of this world… and I can't say I'm too keen on the idea of having _friends_, but… yes, I suppose, I would consider you my friend."

The brunette smiled, calmed by his words. "Cool."

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just wonderin'. I mean, we don't got forever before you gotta go."

"Putting it that way makes it sound like I'm on a business trip or something…"

"More pleasant than what it really means, right?"

"… That's rather deep. T-tch, why, I'm not growing on you am I? What, you're not actually going to be _sad_ when I leave, are you?"

Ryuzaki shrugged, cheeks burning as he tried to play it off as nothing. "Eh, it'll be whatever. At least I'll have my room to myself again."

The ghost grinned casually. "Oh, yes, because that will be such a win for you. I can't imagine what a deal-breaker it is that now you have to share it."

"Oh, wouldn't you know it. Privacy, is like, my biggest thing." The lavender-fringed boy teased, chuckling along with his companion.

"Hmm…" A pleased grin remained plastered to Haga's mouth, tilting the corners of his lips up as he adopted closing his eyes. "You need to sleep. It's getting late."

"Tch, yes _Okan_." Ryuzaki's grin faltered. "You goin' t'school with me tomorrow?"

The ghost visibly paused before shaking his head. "No… no, I don't believe I am. I'm remembering enough about school to remember I didn't like it… not for academic reasons, but because kids were rather mean around me… I can busy myself cleaning up around here; we both know you need it, and your poor mother would probably benefit from the place being tidied…"

"A ghost maid? Sweet, you must be the first!"

"Oh please, I'm not demeaning myself to earn the title of your house-keeper. I just don't like living around such a cluttered home."

"It ain't cluttered, it's _lived-in_."

"Is there even a difference?"

"Just… just don't mess anything up too bad – be careful where you put stuff. Not too over-the-top; Okan knows I don't clean very well an' she'll wonder what brought about the cleanin' of the house."

"Just tell her you felt a need to, I don't know, repay her for all she's done to you or something!" Slender shoulders shrugged. "Do you really need a reason to clean?"

"If you're me you do."

"Well, I'm not. A-anyways, I stand by what I said earlier – you need your sleep. I think I'll go and wait on the roof… goodnight, Ryuzaki."

They exchanged goodnight pleasantries and Haga got up, floating up through the roof. Ryuzaki watched him go, frowning after the wisp of semi-transparent, before lying back hard against his pillow, emitting a tired sigh.

_Haga…_

The more time Ryuzaki spent around the little ghost, the more he found himself enjoying his presence… why? It baffled the brunette, how he smiled whenever Haga was around and found himself able to lighten up and have fun chattering with another being… even if this one was dead, it was still a big change from his normal mood; sullen and anti-social. Haga was the only one who had ever been able to make him feel comfortable or normal around someone else…

But why? What was so special about this boy? Aside from the obvious, that he was a ghost, there wasn't much to him besides his snarky attitude and his pleasant sarcasm, which Ryuzaki found humor in. From how Haga talked about himself, he didn't seem to be too fond of his attitude, commenting that he hadn't had many friends in his years alive… was Haga disliked? He showed disinterest in school because of people throwing comments at him, sure, but…

The concept of being Haga's only friend struck a little close to home to Ryuzaki; it wasn't often he felt sympathy for another.

"Tch, you're growin' soft…"

The brunette tossed over to his stomach, arms grasping around his pillow as he snuggled his cheek closer to the fabric.

_What's so special 'bout Haga, anyways…?_


End file.
